Action toy



. Ian. 1?, 1960 L. B. MILLS 2,921,406

Ac'rzonj'rov Filed Aug. 26, 1957 54 R030 1. 5 Mil/s 28 eon DJIVENTbRAUnited States Patent ACTION TOY Leon B. Mills, North Anson, MaineApplication August 26, 1957, Serial No. 680,259 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-104)The present invention generally relates to a toy and more particularlyto that type of toy which may be pushed by a child and incorporatesfeatures which provide movement to certain elements of the toy whichprovides a highly entertaining type of action toy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the push typehaving certain elements thereof movable with these movable elementsgenerally simulating a tortoise and bare and may be related to the wellknown fable concerning the tortoise and the hare.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy in which asimulated tortoise and hare are mounted on a mobile frame with thesimulated animals being actuated upon movement of the mobile frame withindividual elements of the animals being also movable in response tomovement of the frame.

Other objects of this invention will reside in its simplicity ofconstruction, ease of operation, adaptation for its particular purposesand its highly entertaining qualities while maintaining a relativelyinexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter de scribed and claimed, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the toy of the present invention with thecontrol handle broken away;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing along section line 22 of Figure 1 illustrating thedetails of construction of the tortoise; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of Figure l and looking inthe direction of the arrows thereon and indicating the specific detailsof construction of the bare.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generallydesignates the toy of the present invention which includes an elongatedand generally rectangular plate member 12 which may be considered aframe member having a transverse axle 14 across a reduced forward endportion 16 with a wheel 18 being mounted on each end of the axle formovably supporting the forward end of the plate member or frame member12. Extending upwardly from the upper surface of the frame member 12 isan elongated rigid handle 20 rigidly mounted on the frame member 12adjacent the forward end thereof and adjacent the axle 14. A triangularplate 22 is disposed between the upper surface of the frame member 12and the handle 20 for rigidifying the handle 20 and rigidly mounting thesame on the frame member 12.

For providing a hearing surface for the rotatable axle 14, a bearingsleeve 24 is provided in the forward reduced portion 16 of the framemember 12.

Adjacent one rear corner of the frame member 12 1s a projecting pin 26extending through an open ended slot 2 "v 28 in an upstanding platemember 30 which is shaped to simulate a rabbit'or hare. The forward endof the plate member 30 is attached adjacent its lower end to an ec-acentric pin 32 on one of the wheels 18 whereby rotation of the wheel 18will cause movement of the pin 32 in a circular path thus causingpivotal and reciprocating movement of the plate member 30 with the pin32 as well as the pin '26 preventing the plate member 30 from becomingdislodged from the frame member 12. The plate member 30 is provided witha pair of upstanding cars 34 mounted on a transverse pivot pin 36extending through the plate member 30 and an elongated wire rod orsimilar member 38 is attached to one of the cars 34 in spaced relationto the pivot pin 36 with the other end of the member 38 being anchoredto the frame member 12 by a fastening member 40 whereby movement of theplate member 30 when the wheel 18 is rotated will also cause back andforth pivotal movement ofthe ears 34. Thus, the action of the wheel 18will cause the simulated hare to actually simulate the movement of ahare as he runs. It is pointed out that the lower rear end of the platemember 30 is provided with a rounded surface 42 which forms an abutmentor bumper for engaging the ground surface for skidding thereon if thehandle 20 is lowered to a predetermined angle thus assuring that thesimulated hare will be in the normal position during the operationthereof.

The other side of the frame member 12 is provided with a vertical platemember 44 having the forward end thereof mounted on an eccentric pin 46on the other wheel 18 and the rear end thereof having a slot 48 receivedover a projecting pin 50 similar to the projecting pin 26. The rear endof the top edge of the plate member 44 is provided with a projectingcurved member '52 generally simulating a tail while the central portionof the plate member 44 is provided with a transverse covering or platemember 54 simulating the body or shell of a tortoise while a simulatedhead 56 is pivoted to the plate member 44 by vertical pivot pin 58. Awire member 60 is connected to the head 56 and is anchored to the framemember 12 by a fastening member 62 for moving the head back and forthabout pivot pin 58 during forward or rearward progressive movement ofthe toy.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A push toy comprising a generally rectangular frame member, a pair oflaterally spaced wheels supporting the forward end of said frame member,a handle connected rigidly to said frame member for propulsion thereof,a movable vertically disposed animal simulating plate member at eachside of said frame member, the forward end of each movable memberbeingeccentrically journaled on the respective wheels, the rear end ofeach movable member being slidably and pivotally connected to the framemember whereby rotation of the wheels will cause movement of the movablemembers, the rear lower corner of each movable member being rounded andprojecting below the plane of the frame member, one of said movablemembers being provided with a body and head simulating a hare andincluding a pair of pivotal ears mounted on the head for pivotalmovement about a transverse axis, a rod member interconnecting the earsand the frame member for pivoting the ears in relation to the headduring movement of the movable member in relation to the frame member,the other of the movable members including a body simulating a tortoise,a head member mounted on the forward end of said body for pivotalmovement about a vertical axis, a rod member interconnecting the headmember and the frame member for oseillating the head member duringmovement of the simulated tortoise.

References Cited in the file of this patent Rendtorfi Aug. 2, 1921Villani July 29, 1924 ONeal Oct. 15, 1940

